Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «B»:
-
Bacteremia
Bacteremia: The presence of live bacteria in the
bloodstream. Bacteremia is analogous to viremia (the presence of a virus in the blood) and parasitemia (the presence of a parasite in the blood). Bacteremia, viremia and parasitemia are all forms of sepsis (bloodstream infection). The term "bacteremi...
-
Bacteria
Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms which can exist either as independent (free-living) organisms or as parasites (dependent upon another organism for life).
Examples of bacteria include:
Acidophilus, a normal inhabitant of yogurt,
Chlamydia, which causes an infection very similar to gonorrhea,...
-
Bacterial
Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria. For example, a bacterial lung infection....
-
Bacterial artificial chromosome
Bacterial artificial chromosome: A laboratory creation
involving an artificially constructed chromosome in which medium-sized
segments of DNA (100,000 to 300,000 bases in length) that come from
another species are cloned into bacteria. Once the foreign DNA has
been cloned into the bacteria's chro...
-
Bacterial prostatitis, acute
Bacterial prostatitis, acute: Inflammation of the prostate gland of sudden (acute) onset due to bacterial infection. The symptoms include chills, fever, pain in the lower back and genital area, body aches, burning or painful urination, and the frequent and urgent need to urinate. The urinary tract ...
-
Bacterial prostatitis, chronic
Bacterial prostatitis, chronic: Longstanding bacterial
infection of the prostate gland superimposed on a defect in the
prostate. (The prostate is a small organ below the bladder which
surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine down from the
bladder.) The symptoms can include low back pa...
-
Bacterial vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis: A vaginal condition characterized by an abnormal vaginal discharge due to an overgrowth of normal bacteria in the vagina. Women with bacterial vaginosis have less of the normal vaginal bacteria called lactobacilli. Symptoms are the vaginal discharge and sometimes a fishy odor. A...
-
Bacteriaphobia
Bacteriaphobia: An abnormal and persistent fear of germs. Sufferers from bacteriaphobia experience undue anxiety even though they realize that most germs are not pathogens (disease-causing germs). To avoid germs, they may repeat cleaning rituals, such as washing their hands or face. (Surgeons may do...
-
Bacteriocidal
Bacteriocidal: Capable of killing bacteria. Antibiotics, antiseptics, and disinfectants can be bactericidal....
-
Bacteriology
Bacteriology: The science and study of bacteria and their relation to medicine and to other areas such as agriculture (e.g., farm animals) and industry. Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms which can live as independent organisms or, dependently, as parasites. Among the better known bacteria ar...
-
Bacteriophage
Bacteriophage: See: Phage....
-
Bacteriostatic
Bacteriostatic: Capable of inhibiting the growth or reproduction of bacteria. Different from bactericidal (capable of killing bacteria outright)....
-
Bacterium
Bacterium: The singular of bacteria....
-
Bad air
Bad air: Any air considered noxious. Today, air filled with tobacco smoke might be considered "bad air." So might air contaminated by the emissions of power plants. In the past, bad air was termed a miasma, a poisonous vapor or mist believed to be made up of particles from decomposing material whic...
-
BAEP (brainstem auditory evoked potentials)
BAEP (brainstem auditory evoked potentials): See: ABR test....
